A content levy on streaming platforms could be ‘a complete game changer’ for Irish independent production

Screen Producers Ireland (SPI) signed an important joint statement supporting the introduction of a content levy at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, 11 September. The statement signed by Screen Producers Ireland and 22 other screen representative organisations, also ran as a full-page ad in the TIFF edition of The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the statement, the advent of international streaming giants like Netflix means that ‘strong domestic content laws’ are needed to protect ‘local stories’. The 23 signatories are urging governments to support domestic production and champion the diverse stories ‘that make our global screen industry so rich’.
 
SPI CEO, Susan Kirby said: 'The funds that would be raised by a content levy could be a complete game changer for the industry here. It's important to say that this is not a levy on Irish consumers, it is the fair re-investment by streamers of a small portion of the significant profits made in the Irish market.’ She added that: ‘we believe in the positive impact this investment could bring to Irish independent production at home and on the global stage.'
 
Screen Producers Ireland thanks the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), for leading out on this initiative, and is proud to stand alongside our sister producer representative organisations around the world who also signed the statement, including; Asociación Estatal de Cine (Spain), Animation in Europe, Animation Ireland (Ireland), AnimFrance (France), APA – Asociace producentů v audiovizi (Czechia), Associação de Produtores Independentes de Televisão (Portugal), Association of Audiovisual Producers of Slovenia – DAVP (Slovenia), AQPM (Canada), APA Associazione Produttori Audiovisivi (Italy), Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) (Canada), Društvo filmskih producentk in producentov Slovenije (FPS), CEPI - European Audiovisual Production Association, EUROPEAN PRODUCERS CLUB - CLUB DES PRODUCTEURS EUROPEENS, FV Film- und Musikwirtschaft (Austria), Producentforeningen (Denmark), VOFTP vzw (Belgium), Screen Producers Australia (Australia), Screen Producers Ireland (Ireland), Slovakia Audiovisual Producers Association (SAPA), Swedish Film & TV Producers (Sweden), SPI - Syndicat de la Production Indépendante (France), USPA - Union Syndicale de la Production Audiovisuelle, (France) and VIRKE (Norway).